1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for preventing a traffic accident by obtaining various kinds of information on a vehicle and controlling various units of the vehicle instead of a driver.
2) Description of the Related Art
One of the well-known technologies for preventing a traffic accident and ensuring a safety of a vehicle obtains various kinds of information on the vehicle and controls various units instead of a driver of the vehicle. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H7-57198 discloses a technique for detecting a distance between a vehicle and an obstacle ahead, and warning the driver of the vehicle when the distance detected is shorter than a predetermined distance.
However, every attempt to make the vehicle itself perceive, recognize, and determine danger instead of the driver is not practical. For example, the information (situation) to be perceived and recognized to ensure prevention of a traffic accident and a safety of a vehicle depends on the actual situation of the vehicle. The conventional technology cannot accurately specify the actual situation under which the vehicle is placed. Therefore, the information to be perceived and recognized cannot be accurately obtained, which deteriorates the accuracy in the determination of the danger. As a result, the prevention of the traffic accident and ensuring of the safety of the vehicle is correspondingly limited.
Hence, it is an extremely important how to perform proper perception, recognition, judgment, act, and operation instead of the driver, and a technology that can prevent the traffic accident and ensure the safety of the vehicle is highly desired.